Chapter 56
Chapter 56
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 55
Chapter Title: The Sacrifice Arrives
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Paris Emporus's carriage arrived at its destination, the Bre Territory.
The Bre Territory was famous for the large Sike River running alongside it, its mild climate, and the scenic view of distant mountains capped with eternal snow.
Unlike its climate suitable for farming, the land was mostly rocky, so mining had developed here long ago instead of agriculture.
When the buried resources began to run out, the lord spearheaded the tourism industry, turning it into a renowned vacation spot for nobles.
In particular, auctions were held periodically, drawing crowds of nobles.
Paris Emporus had bought out the underground auction house and prepared slave gladiator fights disguised as a banquet to attract even more attention.
As he stepped out of the carriage, he saw the bustling streets. Behind the carriage, Holy Knights on horseback were chasing after him.
Having raced long distances, their horses were breathing heavily. The Holy Knights who had ridden in were just as exhausted.
Paris Emporus ignored the Holy Knights as he disembarked and slipped into the city's alleys.
The Holy Knights hurriedly pursued him, but mercenaries jumped out from the alleys, blocking their path.
"Get out of the way!"
"Knights, no one's allowed through here without permission."
Soon, the clash of swords rang out. Paris Emporus leisurely slipped away as he heard the sounds.
By the time the knights broke through the mercenaries, he would already be out of sight.
"Easier to shake them off than I thought."
Paris Emporus, who had received a black hood from a subordinate waiting at a back door in the middle of the alley and pulled it over his head, muttered softly.
He entered the building, used different doors to cross several structures, and arrived at a place far from where he had first gotten out.
Without stopping there, he headed underground.
Traces of the old mining village hadn't completely vanished and remained below ground. The current lord of Bre maintained them well, using them as passages to the secret auction house.
As Paris Emporus walked through the underground passage, a black-haired man appeared before him.
He removed his hood and greeted the man.
"Sari, you've handled things well in my absence, haven't you? Once this is over, I'll reward you handsomely."
It was his younger brother, Sari Emporus. Unlike his brother, his vile nature was plainly visible on his face, giving him a sleazy impression.
Sari grumbled that it had been hard to work while dodging the eyes of the Holy Knights stuck to him.
"You know that. Still, I went right into the heart of them and drew their attention, didn't I? They suspected, but without evidence, what can they do?"
"Are they really helpless in the Church? This isn't a trap, is it?"
"If it was, I wouldn't be here. We've got their lineage in our hands too, and I hear Rachel's coming today. Luck is on my side."
Afterward, he moved to the underground gladiator arena with Sari.
Since this was his first attempt, he made a final check to ensure everything was prepared to satisfy Demian and the other nobles.
"You've prepared well even without me. You never disappoint."
Paris Emporus showered praise on the manager he had hired as a figurehead and his brother Sari.
Even under the temple's watch, everything proceeded smoothly.
His affairs sailed forward like a ship with the perfect wind at its back.
As dusk fell and evening deepened, masked nobles began arriving one by one.
Those who had received secret invitations filled the seats of the circular arena.
In the circular arena, captured slaves first came out and began fighting for their lives. Of course, money was at stake.
"The Third Prince is late."
The highlight had to wait for Demian's arrival.
These capital nobles, who weren't stuck in the boonies and whose only pastime was hunting small game, were excited by the slaves' clumsy swordplay, but what he had prepared was more than that.
At that moment, the manager came looking for him.
"The guest you've been waiting for has arrived."
The guests Paris Emporus had been waiting for were two: the Third Prince and Rachel.
Before the question of which one appeared on Paris Emporus's face, the manager provided the answer.
"It's the young lady."
"I'll go myself."
It was the arrival of the sacrifice he had long awaited. Paris Emporus quickly rose, fearing Rachel might run away.
When he arrived at the place he had instructed her to come to, she was standing there with two other people.
"Uncle!"
"Come in, Rachel. And these two behind you?"
"I did come without telling Mother, but I couldn't shake off the knight and priest the temple sent. In exchange for not telling Mother, they came along."
Behind Rachel stood a tall woman with brown hair and a slender man.
Judging by their attire, the woman was a Holy Knight, and the man in a white robe covering even his face was a priest.
"I see."
In other words, the only one he needed to be wary of was a single Holy Knight. But it was a woman.
There were outliers like Evelyn, but ordinary women were more agile and flexible than men, though weaker in strength.
"But if I don't return by my designated time, my sister will notice."
The face-covered priest spoke. It seemed directed at Rachel, but it was a warning to Paris Emporus.
A warning that Evelyn would appear if Rachel didn't return on time.
However, Paris Emporus paid it no mind.
"Let's not do this here—come inside."
He gestured to the manager who had followed him, signaling to have mercenaries stand by.
Paris Emporus intended to eliminate the people from the Church who had tailed Rachel. He didn't even consider Rachel a threat.
He had watched her since she was a child. He knew her physical abilities were weaker than her peers'. There was no way she had grown strong in just a few months.
Seeing Rachel walk beside him without any wariness excited him. The girl who smiled every time their eyes met seemed utterly unsuspecting.
"I was shocked when I heard the news last time. Mother told me not to meet you, but I didn't believe her."
"I see. Thank you for trusting me. By the way, what's with the eye?"
What Paris Emporus asked about was the monocle. Rachel blinked her right eye, which had the monocle, and answered.
"My right eye vision has gotten much worse lately."
"I see. That's too bad. There's so much I want to show you."
"I want to see what Uncle does normally too."
His steps led deeper and deeper into the building.
Holding tightly to Rachel's small hand, he took her to where the slaves were imprisoned.
Inside the iron-barred cages were the captured people.
"Uncle?"
Hearing his niece's trembling, frightened voice, Paris Emporus felt a surge of emotion.
Before he knew it, mercenaries had gathered around him, surrounding them.
"Curious about what I do? I'll show you. I especially wanted to show you! My dear Rachel, my lovely Rachel, I was overjoyed by your letter saying you'd visit in person!"
Rachel bowed her head and trembled her shoulders. Paris Emporus savored the ecstasy as he looked at the Holy Knight and priest separated by the mercenaries.
"Dogs of the Church, you've fallen into a trap. To come here with just the two of you!"
"Uncle, I have no idea what's going on. Who are these people, and why are you suddenly doing this?"
Rachel asked, sobbing with her head down. Paris Emporus pulled her close.
"It's not complicated. The rumors you heard are true. Were you expecting a party? I'll show you everything."
He signaled the mercenaries to kill the Church people. Then he dragged Rachel toward the gladiator arena.
Paris Emporus took Rachel to the VIP seats he had specially prepared for the Third Prince.
Blocked by expensive full-pane glass, the life-and-death duels unfolding below were perfectly visible.
"Now, look! Watch those vermin struggle to survive. And see the crowd cheering!"
"Why are you doing this?"
"Why? Human lives are worthless. No one cared when those vermin writhed in the streets, but look at this spectacle—everyone's enthralled."
Paris Emporus revealed his true self to Rachel, which he had hidden until now.
Since he planned to offer her as a sacrifice to the demon soon, he felt no hesitation in exposing his secrets.
"I'm a heavenly merchant. I take the worthless and sell it for a fortune—it's my joy! You especially—if you grow up like this, you'll end up sold as a baron's wife or a rich merchant's concubine at best?"
"How can you say that!"
"But I can make you valuable! Just offer your one life, and I can become king."
Paris Emporus grabbed Rachel's shoulders. Rachel's face twisted in pain.
"No! Did you think I'd just say 'yes, sir' and offer my neck?"
"You should. What can you do alone? Your great mother isn't here now. By the time she arrives, it'll all be over."
"Let go!"
As Rachel resisted, his grip tightened. He glared and shouted.
"Don't resist. Do you want to die painfully? If you accept obediently, I'll kill you painlessly. Better than being stabbed repeatedly with a dull blade until you die, right? Just swallow the poison and drift off to sleep."
At the threat, Rachel's movements stopped. As she quieted, Paris Emporus's voice softened.
"That's wise. Don't hate it too much. If you cooperate nicely, I'll take good care of your parents and Deyner."
"My family...!"
Rachel gritted her teeth. Incomplete words leaked through her clenched jaws.
"Weren't you curious? Why Henri, in the palace, hasn't even gotten a baronetcy? I blocked it all. If my brother's influence grew, it'd be harder to get my hands on you."
"So if I die, Father can get a title?"
"Of course. When I become king, I'll give him a dukedom! Right below the king!"
Cudas had no dukes yet. Marquis was directly below the king.
She gave no reply. But her shoulders twitched, and Paris Emporus kept babbling without pause.
"Think about it. When I become king, your beloved father becomes the king's brother. Your family can live in luxury forever. But,"
His voice lowered.
"If you keep trying to run, I don't know how I'll treat you. Suffering until death is irrational for both of us, isn't it? An angry me might take it out on your family."
At the blatant threat, Rachel shut her mouth.
"So enjoy it. I'll help you meet the most noble and beautiful end."
"I see. My death is already decided...."
She muttered weakly. Paris Emporus thought she had resigned herself.
"I'll trust Uncle. I'll behave, so please don't harm my family."
"Good girl."
He believed Rachel had submitted to him.
However, the eyes of the bowed Rachel sparkled. She was waiting for a chance to counterattack.
***
After Paris Emporus disappeared, the mercenaries he had hired swarmed the Holy Knight and priest who had come with Rachel.
The tall, slender female knight clashed swords with the mercenaries without hesitation.
But when steel met steel, no metallic clang rang out. Instead, the sword glowing with white light sliced through the mercenary's blade.
"An aura!"
Whether to call it an aura or Divine Power was unclear, but one thing was certain.
No matter how many dozens of mercenaries there were, they couldn't defeat that one knight.
Yet, as the saying goes, ignorant fools don't fear tigers. The clueless mercenaries failed to recognize her skill.
"It's just one person! If we all rush—argh!"
The wrist of the mercenary who spoke flew off.
Some of the hired mercenaries fled, some knelt before the overwhelming skill gap, and others charged recklessly, heedless of their lives.
"This bitch has hair this long in a fight!"
One mercenary spat curses and grabbed the female knight's brown hair. But the hair came off easily.
"Huh?"
Short silver hair was revealed beneath the brown locks. He swung his sword to remove the wig, but she cut him down.
That's right. It wasn't a female knight—it was Enoch in disguise.
To induce Emporus's carelessness repeatedly until the incident was resolved, Enoch had even cross-dressed.
The mercenaries' ordeal didn't end there. Those thought to be allies began attacking from behind.
"Brother!"
The mercenary proved his identity with Divine Power. He wasn't a mercenary—he was a Holy Knight hidden among them.
When Paris Emporus's side hired mercenaries, Abyss's informants had infiltrated the gaps.
It was possible because Paris Emporus was tied up at the temple, leaving his underlings to handle things.
The infiltrated informants had contacted the pursuing Holy Knights and disguised them as mercenaries.
Paris Emporus thought he had shaken off the Holy Knights, but they had deliberately let him go to allow smooth infiltration.
The battle ended. The Holy Knights gathered around Enoch.
"Did you learn anything?"
"They don't let even mercenaries past the inner areas. Subordinates in uniforms only appear when bringing slaves."
"I see."
It was as expected.
"Please save me! Come quick!"
"Me first!"
"Here!"
After the battle, the caged people, having assessed the situation, reached out to Enoch begging for rescue.
However, Enoch couldn't release them right then.
"It's dangerous to release you now. Soldiers will come soon, so wait. Brother, please guard these people here."
"Yes."
Enoch looked up at the cages. The moment the fight started, the priest had climbed atop the man-high iron-barred cages and poked his head out.
"Magistrate Jesty. You can come down now. It's safe."
He wore priestly robes, but he wasn't a priest. Magistrate Jesty—the inspector sent ahead by the Second Prince.
"Baron Emporus has stunk of suspicion for ages. I tried to catch him so many times but always failed, which frustrated me. Now we finally have our chance."
Confirming that Enoch had defeated all the enemies, he slowly climbed down from the cage.
Having faced many life threats before, he was remarkably quick at removing himself from combat.
Thanks to that, Enoch could fight without worrying about him getting hurt.
"Please save us."
"The guard will arrive soon. Any idea of your origins?"
The magistrate briefly questioned the people in the cages. None were original slaves.
Some were villagers from remote mountains, some travelers, even foreigners.
"Capturing commoners to make them slaves. That's a grave crime."
Turning tax-paying subjects into private property slaves was theft from the king and, broadly speaking, treason.
"The knight and Lady Rachel hoped Baron Emporus would fall, right? Looking at this situation, no issues."